PAUL POGBA spoke to Tanguy Ndombele about their difficulties working under Jose Mourinho. Despite playing for Premier League rivals, the French midfielders are friends and international team-mates. And the Tottenham man revealed he chatted to his Manchester United counterpart after his experiences with the Portuguese manager. Although their personal struggles were different – Pogba and […]
PAUL POGBA spoke to Tanguy Ndombele about their difficulties working under Jose Mourinho.
Despite playing for Premier League rivals, the French midfielders are friends and international team-mates.
And the Tottenham man revealed he chatted to his Manchester United counterpart after his experiences with the Portuguese manager.
Although their personal struggles were different – Pogba and Mourinho were filmed rowing during training at Carrington – both players at times failed to find their best form when managed by the Special One.
Ndombele told Football London: “We spoke, we spoke about that but really quickly.
“It wasn’t like he gave me any advice because our situations were completely different.
“It’s true he worked with Mourinho but my own experiences weren’t the same and each relationship has its own characteristics.”
After a turbulent first year in North London following his club-record £65million transfer, there was talk Ndombele may leave Tottenham last summer – something he now confirms was his desire.
In the end, he stayed put and his persistence has paid off with a fine season so far.
The ex-Lyon man, 24, has six goals and three assists so far and impressed many with his energetic and quality performances in the middle for Spurs.
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He added: “To be perfectly honest with you I don’t know how close I was to leaving.
“What I know is that I did want to leave. I spoke about this with people at the club and particularly with the chairman [Daniel Levy].
“The chairman said he didn’t want me to leave and definitely that’s something that really helped.
“The hardest moments are in the past and I’ve moved forward and things are much better for me and the team and it’s all behind us.
“I wouldn’t really say that I made errors, or particular errors – everybody has to take their own responsibility for what goes on in a season and there were things that went on at the club that people know about and things that went on at the club that people don’t know about.
“I’m able now to look back and see what were the aspects of my contribution that I needed to work on and what’s great now is that everything’s moving in the right direction for the team, for the club and for everyone and that’s really satisfying.
“Without a doubt it’s made me stronger mentally. What happened last season made me and improved me as an athlete.”
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